Answering Questions About Fukushima: Reactor 4 Fuel Rods & Worldwide Mass Extinction?

Answering Questions About Fukushima: Reactor 4 Fuel Rods & Worldwide Mass Extinction?

by James

Wondering about the latest string of fear-inducing stories about the horrors of Fukushima?
An excellent place to find some answers is Reddit’s /r/AskScience, a forum in which questions about scientific issues are answered in a serious manner, “free of layman speculation.” Included among its regular users are several people with professional expertise on nuclear reactors and radiation.
In recent weeks, several threads have covered scare stories being spread by professional anti-nuclear activists:

• What would happen if a severe earthquake hit Fukushima now?
• Would the collapse of the Fukushima reactor really cause a mass extinction event?
• Okay, enough is enough. Can someone please explain to me if the Fukushima reactor’s fuel rods are a real threat to the United States/entire civilization?
• How serious is the Fukishima reactor problem?
• How likely is the Fukushima nuclear crisis able to cause a worldwide environmental catastrophe?

As one might expect, the claims of people like Arnie Gundersen and Helen Caldicott are easily countered by people who actually understand the issues.